


special

by reeto



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, fluff?, is this even shippy, its really kind of not, lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-17 02:06:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2292962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reeto/pseuds/reeto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do you weigh the term 'special'? It's ambiguous; with perforated edges, and perhaps small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. What do you compare it to? Your family? The old woman handling your favorite shop? Your first teacher; one of which you can't remember the face of anymore? </p><p>What distinguishes something from the 'everything' and the 'everyone'?</p>
            </blockquote>





	special

**Author's Note:**

> for suyeda lol

 

How do you weigh the term 'special'? It's ambiguous; with perforated edges, and perhaps small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. What do you compare it to? Your family? The old woman handling your favorite shop? Your first teacher; one of which you can't remember the face of anymore?

What distinguishes something from the ' _everything_ ' and the ' _everyone_ '?

Light trickles in through the gymnasium windows, casting faint silhouettes on the court. The echo of heavy breathing and squeak of sneakers is almost rhythmic to the ear, but the players don't seem to be listening. They maneuver fludily across the court, panning in and branching out in accordance to some predetermined strategy. A whip of orange weaves it's way through the surrounding players — hurtling into the air above the net with one, decisive leap. The ball greets the peak of his height briefly before taking a nosedive to the other side, slapping against the floor with an audible cry. Hinata lands firmly, his spiking hand clenched into a tight fist as the praise from his teammates fire off not too far behind.

It doesn't matter if it's ten, twenty, or a hundred times — the familiar sting of skin is something that naturally brings a curl to the first-years lips. In fact, the fifteen year old can't help but don a dopey smile in the midst of rotation — that is until he finds himself stumbling into a most unexpected barrier. He flounders a bit at the obstruction, one hand held over his forehead while the other stretches outward to give the boy a readjusted sense of balance.

" _Wh_ \--" Hinata's lips begin to part before immediately clamping shut at the sight of his fellow first-year and setter, Kageyama Tobio.

The blacklette towers over the wing spiker by a good twenty (and then some) centimeters, his narrowed gaze shooting daggers in Hinata's direction. "What's with that look?" The redhead hesitates, feeling discomfort ground him to the court floor. His eyebrows knit together skeptically, but it's mostly for naught considering he can't even manage to match Kageyamas gaze; opting for staring at obscure corners of the gymnasium ceiling instead.

" _I_ -I hit it! Is there something wrong with that?" What's most concerning isn't the way Kageyama's looking at him, but rather the ominous silence present. There's nothing to be upset about — in fact, one could say that just now was a flawless play; nothing short of the duo's usual, clean-cut combination.

"Hinata -- _nice kill!_ " A firm hand succeeds in relaxing Hinata's posture, and suddenly the reality of the game resurfaces. The boy gives Tanaka a wide-eyed blink.

" _O_ - _Osu_!!" He exclaims with a grin, shakily - but surely - turning away from Kageyama's unsettling stare.

"Oi, _Hinata._ " The wing spiker falters at the sudden call, almost immediately recognizing the owner of the voice. His head spins around, golden orbs blinking widely at the other first-year.

"Yeah?" His upper lip quirks forward in something similar to a pout, Hinata's chest puffs out as if bracing for some sort of impact.

Kageyama's own lips are pursed into a thin line before spitting out a curt command, "We're doing _that_ again." He's referring to their new quick. Hinata blinks stupidly, as if needing a moment or so before the words completely sink in, and replies with an overly enthusiastic nod.

It's Tsukishima's serve from the opposite side of the net, "Kageyama," Hinata begins as the glasses-wearing giant gets a good feel for the ball. "Are you sick or something?" the redhead blinks and this prompts a glare from the setter.

" _Hah?_ What are you--" The serve goes up in the air, "You're acting kind of funny is all." Hinata mumbles. There's no time for a reply, or interjection, and before the two can even consider exactly what that comment means, Hinata is already up in the air. In one fell motion the fifteen-year old brings the ball down, watching it graze Nishinoya's arm before kissing the court.

It's different being at the top — your eyes are open and everything's spread out before you. Your teammates call out, but noise turns to static at the ear and the patter of feet play in sharp staccato. Hinata lands, and there's the familiar sting — another couple pats on the back signal a job well done for the fifteen year old. The top is different because it's a 'special' place — a gift. His gaze shifts instinctively towards Karasuno's first-year setter, one of which who seems to be acknowledging the scoreboard; _23 to 25_ — their set to be specific.

It's not necessarily admiration that Hinata feels; or, at least, it's not a word he's prepared to throw around. _Perhaps it's envy?_ Or something entirely separate from those kinds of simple, straightforward one-liners? It's undeniable that Kageyama has talent — the redhead can feel it with every fiber of his being. Kageyama Tobio is a phenomenon in the simplest definition of the word — that much is obvious. Even now, standing just a few feet from the fellow first-year, Hinata can't help but stare.

Kageyama's eyes dip downwards as he wipes away any residual sweat — Hinata feels something graze against his rib-cage, warmth spreading out to the edge of his fingertips. Attraction is a shallow word; it's not as if he finds the other boy particularly handsome, or desirable, yet there's undeniably something else there. You love your family unconditionally because of the blood that bonds you; that's something special, and romantic love is unique because it ends with only one. In life you find other things worthy of the word, but perhaps they become footnotes as the years go on, or half-forgotten milestones. Hinata frowns, and wonders for a moment if Kageyama will become just that — an afterthought when high school passes. If he'll ever experience the thrills of a new height, or the careful precision of a teammate like he has now. Karasuno is a home, and to move on from it leaves a notably sour taste in the boy's mouth.

" _Oi_." Hinata blinks back to reality at the greeting of a bottle hovering just before his face.

" _Ah_ \--! _Thanks_." Kageyamas outstretched arm returns back to his side once Hinata takes the water, eyebrows knitted quizzically.

"Aren't _you_ the one acting weird?" The setter states, pointing a finger in the redheads direction.

"You're pretty quiet." Kageyama huffs in that same, low voice, "Usually you never shut up." It incites a frown from the wing spiker, whose face flushes just a shade redder.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hinata puffs back, waving a free arm in the blacklettes direction."Wouldn't you normally be happy about that kind of thing?"

 _Don't think about it_. There's still two years left, right?

He's standing so close and Hinata feels every joint in his body stiffen at the fact. Kageyama averts his gaze, taking a swig from his own bottle. ".... _Good work_." It's barely audible and a little muffled by the bottle in his hands, but Hinata hears it all the same. The first-years head shoots up at the mention, his golden orbs wide with intrigue.

"What?" He blinks. " _What did you just say_?"

Kageyama hesitates, turning his head away from Hinata's prying eyes. " _I_ \--" the setter begins, stumbling over his words, "I said good work-- _In the game_ , I mean." He mumbles, as if forcing himself, but there's a clear flush of pink dusting the bridge of his nose.

" _Spiking_ that is." As if to emphasize the lack of praise in any other department.

"Just... _forget it_." Kageyama finally resigns, beginning to grumble incoherently.

"Is that what you were trying to say? _Earlier_?" Hinata tilts his head just a notch, but it seems the blacklette isn't willing to dive in any further, and continues to drink his water in silence; which may as well be an answer in itself. The redheads lips curl upward into a smile.

"You're really no good at anything but volleyball, are you?" A laugh.

" _Shut up_! Isn't it the same for you?!" A growl.

Even now, with everything that he is, Hinata can feel it. Maybe someday a match like today will be nothing more than a vague memory. Perhaps it will fade away into the foreground; behind bigger spectacles and games with higher stakes. His hand will sting from a different toss, in a different place, yet right now it feels like anything but. You love your family because it's unconditional, you love your lover because they're your better half. Kageyama isn't something that's found a place in either of those categories yet, and perhaps 'friend' isn't entirely accurate. It's simple to understand that there will be many things you identify as 'special' in life; things that catch your glance, things that you spend multiple hours a day thinking about, and things that happen only once in your lifetime.

Even now, in this small gymnasium, with the heat rising and the squeak of volleyball sneakers echoing about, Hinata can feel it tugging. Firmly, even if only temporary, he feels that the time now, no matter how trivially spent, is special. That being tossed and yanked around by Kageyama will surely not be forgotten, and that perhaps these feelings will never fade away.

That his setter is certainly _'special'_ .


End file.
